Why is this card now not awesome? And what did all the travel bloggers “getting involved” have to do with it?

Most of the Chase cards have or can be swapped for Chipped cards. They are ALL chip + signature, tho. This includes the Marriot, Hyatt and Sapphire Preferred, although I had to ask for my older CSP to be replaced with a chipped card. Oh, yeah, and the British Airways card, as someone else mentioned. All would work great as signature cards and no FTFs.

Chase cards tend to have no foreign transactions fees, too.

For a Chip+Pin card (for my trip coming up in May) I am working to acquire either a SDFCU credit card, or a debit card. It looks like their debit card works this way and won’t cause a hit on my credit report! Already have the SDFCU account open, just deciding on whether to settle for the debit card or apply for a credit card.

]]>By: nazilamhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-794040
Mon, 09 Dec 2013 22:40:10 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-794040Hyatt is my card of choice. They have a chip and signature card and 0% transaction fee overseas. They give you double points for food, travel like transactions. They also offer two free nights with sign up. This was awesome until all the travel bloggers got involved. The 95 buck fee pays for itself annually for us because of the no-transaction fee on foreign purchases and in the one free night award you get on your anniversary date. You can’t use the free night anywhere fancy, but we used it in Philly last year when the hotel prices were over 200 bucks a night.

I am also partial to the SPG amex, but I am more interested in hoarding hyatt points right now.

]]>By: allisonhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-792903
Thu, 05 Dec 2013 01:45:02 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-792903We just returned from three weeks in rural villages in France/Spain. We got the Andrews card about a month before our trip and it was super easy and quick. For some transactions we used the PIN, but for others it still required a signature. There were definitely a few situations where the chip/pin was the only viable option and we were relieved to have it in the wallet. The funny thing is that one of the main reasons for getting the Andrews card was for toll roads, and it turned out that the Andrews chip and pin card only worked on toll roads twice – the other times we used our plain old Capital One visa with no problem.
]]>By: whitneyhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791574
Thu, 28 Nov 2013 16:00:39 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791574I was delighted to find out that the Capital One card I already had was a no foreign transaction fee card! We ended up using that for shopping and purchases when we were low on cash in Europe.

And if you already have an AMEX card, they seem to have the best rental car coverage deal. None of them offer liability, but you can decline everything except that when renting (there’s an article on nerd wallet that breaks it down: http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-card-benefits/rental-car-insurance/). I found that a lot of the other cards make you decline everything in order to get their rental car coverage. If you don’t already have an AMEX card, possibly not worth the annual fee just to save on a rental car. They do offer a card with free foreign transaction fees, but it’s their platinum card which has a VERY hefty annual fee.

]]>By: B.T.Carolushttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791454
Thu, 28 Nov 2013 04:21:33 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791454Denmark is 100% pin only, so if you go there you need a chip and pin credit card or to use a debit card with a pin. Some countries are also still very cash oriented, like Germany. And many European banks are trying to make merchants stop accepting travelers checks (Deutsche Bank, for instance).
]]>By: Ahttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791409
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 20:48:02 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791409I’ve been an SDFCU member for years and even they were frustratingly slow to adapt this technology. I wish the entire U.S. would, as it’s more secure. My husband’s credit card was recently spoofed, ugh.
]]>By: Sally from Little Hiccupshttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791395
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:49:41 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791395I was surprised when I moved to the US a few years back from Australia that chip and pin cards don’t exist here. They’re pretty much the standard in Australia now and have been so in the UK and most of Europe for years.
I just figured that it was the US refusing to follow the rest of the world – you know, the same way that that we’re stuck with other things that are different to everyone else just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” i.e. farenheit, the imperial system, mixed up date system, 110v electricity…

Ok, enough of being cynical ;) I’m sure it probably has more to do with cost as others have mentioned. Most things in the US are incredibly cheap compared to the rest of the world so this does sound like a logical explanation.

]]>By: Janethttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791394
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:47:47 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791394What my husband and I did on our recent trip to Spain was get cash using our credit union ATM card (1% fee per transaction) and use cash for all small transactions. We used our usual credit card for larger expenses like hotels and had to sign. Can’t remember what the transaction fee was, but Capital One cards have one of the lowest rates.

Train/metro machines did not accept our credit card, but there was always a machine that accepted cash, and because we had cash in hand, that was no problem. I don’t think all countries have this cash payment option.

Of course, this method requires having sufficient bank funds upfront. The upside is that we didn’t have a huge credit card bill when we got home.

]]>By: meganhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791391
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:28:36 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791391Jen – Thank you, I completely forgot to add that rental car coverage is a very good thing to have on a travel card!
]]>By: meganhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791389
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:26:48 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791389fert – Excellent to know, thanks. And it’s way less cynical than the explanation I’d heard!
]]>By: meganhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791388
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:24:52 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791388Thanks Katherine! I had left it too long to go through the process of joining another credit union (my mistake) but I’m glad to know the Andrews option isn’t out of reach. The way it was spoken of on forums made it sound nearly impossible :)
]]>By: Jenhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791384
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:23:10 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791384Types of cards typical in Cananda will be a bit different in the US, and insurance requirements and types available probably varies state to state and province to province, but as non car owners who use a mish mash of renting and car share programs, a credit card that provides accident insurance is great. In my province, when you rent a car, the only kind of on the spot insurance you can buy, and are in fact obliged to buy) is a loss/damage waiver. There is nothing for injuries unless you purchase some kind of plan, long term. The credit card saves us the waiver fee and protects us from costs associated with injuries.
]]>By: meganhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791383
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 18:22:38 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791383Amy – Oh, good to know.
]]>By: ferthttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791377
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 17:53:58 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791377Chip and pin cards are more popular in countries where the cost of telecommunications were high. In the US, where reaching out and touching through a decent infrastructure and strict regulations that kept telecommunications cost down (at the time chip and pin credit cards were becoming possible), it made sense that stores would just continue to verify the card by calling the credit card company. In Europe, telecommunications costs were significantly higher, so the cost per transaction was so high that it made sense to be able to verify on site that the card (chip) and the user (pin) matched. or so it was explained to me by someone a lot smarter.
]]>By: Kathrinehttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791371
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:45:29 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791371The process to get the real chip and pin card from Andrews FCU is not too difficult. I am going to Europe in April and I already have my card and went through the whole process. The 0% foreign transaction fee is also a bonus. Boardingarea.com has a good write up of how exactly to get the card.
]]>By: amyhttp://www.notmartha.org/archives/2013/11/27/chip-and-pin-or-chip-and-signature-credit-cards-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-791347
Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:29:46 +0000http://www.notmartha.org/?p=15782#comment-791347Great information! Another thing I want to throw out there: it’s worth researching whether credit cards are accepted at all for certain things in your destination country or countries. For example, ticket machines in Dutch train stations do not take credit cards—the only exceptions are Amsterdam central station and Schiphol (the airport). All stations have at least one machine that accepts coins, but they don’t accept paper bills.
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